13 best diabetic diets

A diabetic diet is a dietary plan specifically designed to manage blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes. It is essential for individuals with diabetes to carefully monitor and control their carbohydrate intake because carbohydrates have the most significant impact on blood sugar levels. Here are some key points about diabetic diets:

Carbohydrate Management: Diabetic diets focus on regulating the intake of carbohydrates, which are broken down into glucose (sugar) during digestion. Carbohydrate counting and portion control are common strategies to help individuals with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
Balanced Nutrition: A balanced diabetic diet typically includes a variety of foods, including lean proteins, healthy fats, fiber-rich vegetables, and whole grains.The goal is to ensure that meals are nutritionally balanced.
Glycemic Index: Some diabetic diets may incorporate the glycemic index (GI), which ranks foods based on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Foods with a lower GI are preferred as they have a slower and more stable impact on blood sugar.
Fiber-Rich Foods: Fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down the absorption of sugar. Diabetic diets often include foods high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Regular Meal Timing: Consistency in meal timing is important for individuals with diabetes. Eating meals and snacks at regular intervals helps regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Limiting Sugary Foods: Diabetic diets generally limit the consumption of sugary foods and beverages. These items can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels.
Monitoring Blood Sugar: People with diabetes may need to monitor their blood sugar regularly to track how different foods affect their levels and adjust their diets accordingly.
Individualized Plans: Diabetic diets are not one-size-fits-all. They should be tailored to an individual's specific needs, taking into account factors like their type of diabetes, age, activity level, and overall health.
Medical Supervision: It is important for individuals with diabetes to work closely with healthcare professionals, including registered dietitians and endocrinologists, to create a personalized meal plan and receive guidance on managing their condition.
Weight Management: Weight loss or maintenance may be a part of a diabetic diet plan, especially for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can help improve blood sugar control.

Remember that managing diabetes through diet is a crucial aspect of overall diabetes care. While dietary choices play a significant role, medication and insulin therapy may also be necessary to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Following a diabetic diet, along with proper medical guidance, can help individuals with diabetes lead healthier lives and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best diabetic diets on the market

The Diabetic Cookbook for Beginners: 500 Easy and Healthy Diabetic Diet Recipes for the Newly Diagnosed | 21-Day Meal Plan to Manage Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes

Based on 146 reviews Check latest price

The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet (Second Edition: Revised and Updated)

Mayo Clinic Press

Based on 531 reviews Check latest price

Diabetic Cookbook and Meal Plan for the Newly Diagnosed: A 4-Week Introductory Guide to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

Rockridge Press

Based on 3 reviews Check latest price

Product features

A 4-week plan

This easy-to-follow, day-by-day plan in this diabetic cookbook includes prep tips and shopping lists, and can be customized according to your caloric needs and personal health goals.

100+ Satisfying recipes

Manage your diabetes with recipes you can’t find in other diabetes cookbooks, like Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins, Barbecue Turkey Burger Sliders, Cabbage Slaw Salad, Roasted Salmon with Honey-Mustard Sauce, Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies, and much more.

Quick and easy reference

Unlike other diabetic cookbooks and meal plans, these recipes include nutrition facts and labels for dietary options like gluten-free and vegetarian, and quick options like no-cook and 5-ingredient dishes.

What Do I Eat Now? 3rd Edition: A Guide to Eating Well with Diabetes or Prediabetes

American Diabetes Association

Based on 332 reviews Check latest price

The Complete Diabetes Cookbook: The Healthy Way to Eat the Foods You Love (The Complete ATK Cookbook Series)

America's Test Kitchen

Based on 1 reviews Check latest price

Product features

Manage diabetes with great-tasting recipes

Complete Diabetes Cookbook features 400+ great-tasting recipes, all meticulously tested to fit a diabetic diet and to please everyone around your table. They deliver maximum nutritional value by following a recommended ratio of 10 grams of carbohydrates to 1 gram of fiber—or better. From appetizers and snacks to main dishes and even special desserts, we’ve got you covered with double the number of recipes found in many other diabetes cookbooks.

Inside the book:

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Swapping out regular cheddar for extra-sharp allows us to use less cheese without compromising the soup’s cheesy flavor. Recent research indicates that a low-fat diet is not necessary for people with diabetes or anyone else—as long as the right type of fat is consumed. We use full-fat cheeses throughout The Complete Diabetes Cookbook because they have better flavor.

Lemony Penne with Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Artichokes

A lighter pasta dish with fiber-rich artichokes—frozen ones contain less sodium than canned or marinated ones—and savory enhancers such as lemon juice and zest, white wine, fresh basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. All the pasta recipes in The Complete Diabetes Cookbook call for whole-wheat pasta (which contains protein, fiber, and vitamins that refined white flour lacks) and balance the pasta with healthy vegetables and proteins.

One-Pan Pork Chops and Vegetables with Parsley Vinaigrette

An easy weeknight meal full of incredible flavor with plenty of roasted vegetables, including unpeeled potatoes and whole garlic cloves (we said it was easy!). Season with lots of fresh rosemary, paprika, and coriander and serve with a vinaigrette full of bright flavor and olive oil (people who regularly include healthy fats such as olive oil in their diets have reduced rates of diabetes).

Holiday Cookies

We were pleasantly surprised that halving the sugar of our holiday cookie recipe yielded buttery, sweet cookies. But without the added sugar, the cookies domed during baking, producing an unsightly (and undecoratable) hump on each cookie. We arrived at a solution through a happy accident: Halfway through baking, if we jostled the baking sheet, some of the cookies would deflate and bake up perfectly flat. By striking the pan against a surface partway through baking, we could create flat, uniform shapes every time.